Sarah L. Gross

This is an endearing little example of one of the many marking samplers made by young schoolgirls in the first decades of the 19th century. After stitching three carefully worked alphabets and a numerical progression, the samplermaker signed her work, “Sarah L. Gross born February th 23, 1808 Aged 8 1816.” A sprig of chain-stitched blossoms and leaves on vine further decorate the sampler and it is all surrounded by a little satin stitched sawtooth border.

Sarah L. Gross was the daughter of Peakes and Sarah (Loring Whiting) Gross. They were married in Scituate and by 1816 were living in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. Sarah married Levi Corey in 1830, and, after his death, married Charles Butterick. This information comes from History of Ashburnham, Massachusetts by Ezra Stearns (Published by the Town, 1887). 

Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a mid 19th century beveled bird's eye maple frame with a gilt liner.